This Instant Pot Paleo Pumpkin Chili is packed with flavor! Pumpkin, spices, vegetables and meat combine to make a hearty and satisfying meal. Gluten free, dairy free and sure to a hit with the family!
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Instant Pot Paleo Pumpkin Chili
It’s September. And even though it is still 80-something degrees here in Southern California, pumpkins are taking over the world.
Okay, not literally. There are no jack-o-lantern monsters walking the streets of San Diego (don’t want to scare off the tourists), but I feel like when September 1 hit, pumpkin mania ensued!
Out with the margaritas! And in with the pumpkin spice lattes! Halloween directions are hanging in all of the stores and the aisles of Michael’s smells constantly smells like a freshly baked pumpkin pie straight from the oven.
Hot or not, people have decided it is fall and it is time for pumpkin everything. And I cast no stones….because I am right there with them.
I love pumpkin stuff. Pumpkin muffins. Pumpkin souffles. Pumpkin oatmeal. You name it. Put some pumpkin in it and I’ll seeing all the heart eyes.
But, I feel like the savory side of pumpkins often gets overlooked. Pumpkins are magical for making sweet fall treats, but they also bring a lovely flavor to to savory dishes (try my Savory Pumpkin Soup). I love adding pumpkin puree to soups, meatloaf, meatballs and now chili!
Chili is totally a fall staple and this Paleo Pumpkin Chili is going to takeover your dinner menu this season. Full of wonderful flavors and using many traditional chili ingredients, I skipped the beans in this recipe and traded them in for extra veggies! And since I am all about easy peasy real food, I created it specifically for my Instant Pot (aka my kitchen sanity saver) so that I could make it any night of the week, even if I didn’t have a lot of time to pull dinner together!
Suggested Adaptations
1. Make this chili as spicy or mild as you like! Since I was serving this to my whole family, I opted for a more mild flavor! To amp up the heat, add 1-2 chopped jalapenos to the Instant Pot before cooking or add an extra teaspoon of chili powder!
2. No Instant Pot? That’s okay! Make it in your slow cooker! Brown the meat in a skillet and then add all of the ingredients into your slow cooker with an extra 1 1/2 cups of broth or water and cook on low for 7 hours or high for 4 hours!
Other pumpkin recipes you will love…
- Peanut Butter Pumpkin Bread
- Breakfast Pumpkin Soufflé
- Pumpkin Chia Seed Pudding
- Healthy Carrot Pumpkin Muffins
- Pumpkin Almond Butter Cookies
- Pumpkin Pie Smoothie
Instant Pot Paleo Pumpkin Chili
Equipment
- Instant Pot
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons coconut or avocado oil
- 1 pound ground chicken, turkey or beef
- 1 cup chopped onion
- 1 cup diced bell pepper
- 1 cup chopped carrots
- 3-4 cloves garlic, minced
- 14.5 ounces canned diced tomatoes, with liquid or about 1 3/4 cup diced fresh tomatoes
- 15 ounces canned pumpkin puree or about 1 1/2 cups homemade pumpkin puree
- 1/2 teaspoon paprika
- 1 1/2 teaspoons chili powder or to taste (I made mine relatively mild)
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1/2 teaspoon sea salt or to taste
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper or to taste
- 1/2 cup broth or water
- fresh cilantro and avocado for garnish, if desired
Instructions
- Set your Instant Pot to the saute setting and add oil to the pot.
- Once the oil is hot, crumble the meat into the Instant Pot. Brown for a minute or two until the meat is mostly browned, but still slightly pink. Scoop the meat out of the pot and set aside.
- Next the garlic, onion, bell pepper, carrots to the Instant Pot. Cook for about 3-4 minutes. Stir in salt, pepper, chili powder paprika, and cumin.
- Next, add broth or water. Stir it into the veggie mixture, being sure to scrape up the spices and veggies that may have cooked to the bottom of the pot.
- Add the tomatoes, pumpkin puree and cooked meat. Stir to mix everything together.
- Turn off the saute function . Place the lid on the Instant Pot, lock in place and turn the valve to sealing. Select the manual setting and set to cook on HIGH pressure, and set time for 17 minutes. It will typically take you Instant Pot about 10 minutes to get up to pressure.
- When the chili is finished cooking, quick release pressure, carefully.
- Taste and add more chili, salt and pepper, if desired.
- Enjoy warm, garnished with avocado or cilantro, if desired.
Great for a hearty fall recipe. I like this with some avo on the top or even a little shredded cheese. Delicious!!
One of our family’s favorite fall recipes!
Our’s too! We have it on rotation through February!
This chili is SOOOO warm and cozy! I love all the fall flavors and how easy and adaptable it is too!
This was delish! I used a vegan meat, added kidney beans and fresh pumpkin. We loved it THank you
Yay! I am so glad you enjoyed it Carly! Love the swaps and additions!
This was delicious and easy to make. We love that it is a tasty bean alternative chili, which is easier on everyone’s stomach than a traditional bean chili. Thank you!
Yay! I am so glad you liked it as much as we do!